GC-Mark

Securing Trust with GC-Mark Certification

Trust is the most valuable currency in the world. If your customers have trust in your organization and its products or services, you will have achieved a degree of success that cannot be measured in money alone. Customer loyalty and customer recommendations will follow in its wake, making that success permanent and accumulative. The GC-Mark programs are designed to achieve this trust – and maintain it, indefinitely. They are voluntary certifications of products and services, based on the corresponding regulations.

Easily understandable tokens of trust

Branding instrument to highlight your strengths

Based upon international standards

Tailor-made GC-Marks for your business

What is a GC-Mark?

A GC-Mark, short for Global Conformance Mark, is a seal that indicates that a product, service or organization fulfills a number of relevant requirements. Based upon traditional national and international standards, DQS CFS has identified and developed criteria for excellence in quality, safety, hygiene, sustainability, and customer-friendliness. Each of the more than 40 GC-Marks has a corresponding set of requirements. Companies and organizations can request a voluntary assessment that analyzes whether they meet the relevant GC-Mark criteria.

Benefits of GC-Mark Certification

Unlike traditional standards, GC-Marks demonstrate excellence in a way that is easily understandable for the intended target group. Most consumers have a hard time understanding the relevance of traditional certification, with its multitude of abbreviations and seemingly arbitrary numbers. By contrast, the designations of the GC-Marks are clear and transparent.
GC-Marks can be used on websites, in brochures, on products, and on infrastructure: they are flexible and visually attractive labels suitable for promotional purposes. As such, they can easily be integrated in the marketing and branding strategy of your organization.
A GC-Mark is more than a label: because it is based on solid criteria and a thorough on-site assessment, it is a value-adding experience for your organization. Our competent auditors point out potential for improvement and help you increase efficiency and service quality.

Types of GC-Marks

Our catalogue offers more than 40 GC-Marks to certify quality, safety, sustainability, and hygiene. They focus upon different parameters, including the durability of products, the environmental impact of companies, the quality of services, compliance with laws and regulations, the reliability of suppliers, and the social responsibility of organizations. For every individual GC-Mark, there is a corresponding list of criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to receive the Mark.

In additional, tailor-made GC-Mark labels can be designed upon request, with the relevant international standards as the basis for the certification.

How do GC-Marks relate to ISO Certification?

The criteria specified in the GC-Mark checklists are based upon existing international standards whenever this is possible. If your organization already meets the requirements of a relevant standard, this is already a major step towards fulfilling the criteria for the GC-Mark. DQS can then issue your GC-Mark based upon your existing certification, or the assessment for an upcoming certification can be combined to reduce audit time and save costs (in case your earlier certificates were not issued by DQS, a delta audit may be an option if they are to be taken into account).
It is not necessary to have or obtain an ISO certificate in order to receive the GC-Mark.
Unlike the ISO certificates, the GC-Marks are visually attractive and easily understandable for all stakeholders, including consumers and the general public.

What are the criteria behind the GC-Marks?

DQS develops a set of criteria for every GC-Mark. The criteria are based on nationally and internationally recognized standards and regulations. The checklist is made available before the on-site assessment, so that organizations have the opportunity to prepare for the assessment and to remedy potential non-conformities.

Conditions of use for GC-Mark

The GC-Mark and the certificate are valid for a period of one year, beginning from the day the certificate has been issued. During this period, the use of the GC-Mark for marketing purposes is permitted. These may be used to demonstrate conformity, and can be displayed on websites, products, facilities, and marketing material. The GC-Mark certificate and seal remain the property of DQS and may not be altered or modified.

Obtaining GC-Mark Certification

Register for the Global Conformance Mark programs and take a huge step to enhance trust your customers put into your organization, your services and products.

In the second step towards obtaining the GC-Mark you will be provided with access to a specified self-assessment covering all aspects of the applicable Global Conformance Guidelines.

The assessment is typically split into three parts: a document review, the review of the self-assessment and an on-site assessment.

The GC-Mark certificate and the right to use the GC-Mark printed seal are valid for one year.

Cost of GC-Mark Certification

The cost of GC-Mark certification depends on a number of factors. For example, the size of your organization and the complexity of its management systems have an influence on the duration of the assessments. For these reasons, the costs for certification cannot be given as a lump sum. We will be happy to make you an individual offer for your company, organization or agency.

Why DQS?

More than 35 years of experience in certification
GC-Mark is a registered trademark of DQS
Auditors with practical experience and a high level of industry competence
Personal, smooth support from our specialists - regionally, nationally and internationally
Individual offers with flexible contract periods without hidden costs

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